Process of and apparatus for cooking cotton-seed.



Patented Dec. l9, I899.

v No. 639,529.

w. u. COOK. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COOKING COTTON-SEED.

(Application filed Sept 13, 1898.)

No Model.)

\VALTER H. COOK, OF NEWV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COOKING COTTON-SEED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,529, dated December19, 1899.

Application filed September 13, 1898. Serial No. 690,871. (No model.)

T 00 whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. COOK, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of andApparatus for Cooking Cotton-Seed, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention consists of an improved process for cooking cotton-seed andof certain improvements in cooking apparatus whereby it is carried out.The same will be set forth in detail in the following description andthe novel features thereof pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improvedcooker; and Fig. 2 is a view thereof in end elevation, partly insection.

My improved process consists in subjecting the cotton-seed to a gradually-increasing heat and crushing the same during the heating op-.eration. The apparatus by which this process may be carried outconsists of a closed upright rectangular casing 1 of any approved orpreferred construction and suitably supported in an elevated positionupon standards 2. A11 inlet 3 is provided at one end of the top of thecasing 1,and an outlet 4 is provided at the opposite end of the bottom.Fixed longitudinally in the casing one above the other is a plurality ofpartially-cylindrical troughs 5,

6, 7, S, and 9, provided with crescent-shaped steam-jackets, andarranged to rotate in said troughs are spiral conveyers 10, each ofwhich is fixed 011 a shaft 11, journaled in suitable bearings at theopposite ends of the casing, and each of said shafts has fixed on oneend a sprocket wheel or pulley 12, whereby all the spiral conveyers areadapted to be driven at a uniform speed by a single chain or belt. (Notshown.) The spiral conveyersin practice are geared together by the drivechain or belt in such manner that each conveyor is caused to rotate in adirection opposite to the conveyer next below, and the troughs arearranged in such manner that the rear end of each trough terminates at apoint immediately above the front end of the one next below, thearrangement being such that the seed is moved along each trough from itsfront to its rear end and is discharged onto the front end of the troughnext below. J ournaled in pairs in the opposite ends of the casing 1 arecrushingrolls 13, there being one such pairof rolls arranged beneath therear end of each trough,as shown, whereby the seed as it is dischargedfrom each trough is caused to pass between a pair of rolls beforedropping onto the trough beneath. Each roll 13 is fixed on a shaft14,journaled in the end of the casing 1, and on a suitable cross-bar land has fixed on its outer end a chain wheel or pulley 16, the chainwheels or pulleys of each pair of rolls being connected by a chain orbelt to a corresponding chain wheel or pulley 17,fixed on the end of theadjacent conveyer-shaft.

Arranged beneath the outlet at of the casing 1 is a receiver 18,consisting of a vat or tank open at its upper end and provided at itslower end upon one sidewith a dischargeopening 19, normally closed by agate 20. Journaled centrally in the receiver 18 is a vertical shaft 21,on which are fixed radial stirrer and scraper arms 22 and adrive-pulley23. The stirrer-arms revolve with the shaft 21 and operate to keep thecooked seed constantly stirred up in the receiver and to dis charge ittherefrom when the gate is opened.

The numeral 24 indicates a steam-pipe leading from any suitable sourceof steam-sup ply, and leading from said steam-pipe are a number ofbranch pipes 25, there being one such branch pipe for the steam-jacketof each trough, which are respectively connected at their opposite endsto said steam-jackets. Each of the branch pipes 25 is provided with avalve 26 and is also provided with a pressure-gage 27 for indicating thepressure of the steam. in said pipe, and consequently the pressure ofthe steam in the jacket with which it is connected.

Heretofore it has been a common practice to employ one or more cookerseach comprising a heating vessel provided with rotating stirrer-arms.From such a heater a certain amount of the cooked seed is withdrawn fromtime to time, or sometimes all the cooked seed is so Withdrawn, and afresh charge of cold uncooked seed is introduced into the heater, whichcoming in contact either with the hot seed partially cooked or the hotsurface of the cooker, which is heated by steam at a high pressure, thecooking process is either terminated or partially arrested. This alsoresults in the formation of globules known as Water-balls in the seed.These waterballs continue to accumulate and grow in size and remainunbroken, and the seed contained in them is not cooked, and the oilcontained in them is not extracted. These water-balls pass with thecooked seed into the cakeformer and are mashed into the cake and pass inthe latter into the press where the oil is extracted, causing blackspots whenever the balls occur. These water-balls in the cake not onlyretain the oil, but deteriorate from the value of the cake. By means ofmy improved cooker these injurious results are avoided. As described,the steam-jacket of each trough is fed by a separate steam-pipe. Inpractice the valves 26 are so adjusted that said steam is admitted tothe jacket of trough 5 at a comparatively low pressure, to the jacket oftrough 6 at a higher pressure, to the jacket of trough 7 at a stillhigher pressure, and thus at a constantly-increasing pressure to eachsucceeding jacket in the series. As the seed is fed by the conveyersfrom one trough to another it is thus subjected to a constantly-increasing temperature, and hence when the fresh seed is introducedthrough the inlet 3 it meets a low temperature, and this temperaturegradually increases as the seed is deliveredirom one trough to anotherthroughout the series until it is discharged through the outlet 4 intothe receiver in a perfectly-cooked condition. This uniform manner ofcooking the seed and gradually raising the temperature prevents, in alarge measure, the formation of Water-balls; but such balls as may occurare elfectually crushed and destroyed by the rolls arranged beneath thedischarge end of each of the troughs. The crushing-rolls also assistmaterially in the rupture of the oil-cells in the seed, giving a betteryield of oil and making a better cake free from water-balls, resultingin an improved quality of the oil.

By means of the pressure-gages described the operator is enabled to notethe pressure of steam carried on each jacket and can regulate thepressure by means of the valves to cause the temperature to be suitablefor the nature of the particular seed being cooked, the object being toso regulate the temperature that by the time the seed is discharged intothe receiver it will be properly cooked.

It will of course be understood by those skilled in the art that thecotton-seed before it is fed into the cooker is deprived of the hull orhusk and that it is the kernels only that are subjected to the cookingoperation.

Having described my invention, What I claim is-- 1. The process ofcooking cotton-seed and the like which consists in subjecting the sameto a gradually-increasing heat. I

2. The process of cooking cotton-seed and the like, which consists inpassing the same over surfaces which are heated to different degrees oftemperature.

3. The process of cooking cotton-seed and the like which consists insubjecting the same to a grad ually-increasing heat and crushing thesame during the heating operation.

4. The process of cooking cotton-seed and the like which consists insubjecting the same to a gradually-increasing heat, crushing the sameduring the heating operation and stirring the heated mass.

5. In apparatus for cooking cotton-seed and the like, the combination ofaplurality of troughs arranged one above the other, each of said troughsprovided with a steam-jacket, and each of the jackets adapted to beunder higher steam-pressure than the next preceding one for cooking theseed by a graduallyincreasing heat, and a pair of crushing-rollsarranged beneath the discharge end of each trough.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

WALTER H. COOK.

WVitnesses:

THOMAS LABATUT, FELIX J. PUIG.

